Transmigrated into the Scumbag Ex-Wife of the Prime Minister - Chapter 103.1

The twilight slowly melted into the mountains, golden, soft light diffused, giving the dusk a layer of hazy color.

Under the ginkgo tree, the Princess Changning looked up slightly, her gaze fixed on the wooden plaque swaying in the wind on the tree.

The beauty beneath the tree was like a painting, but what Qin Feiyan was thinking about was what Lin Ran had told her—that to hang up a wooden plaque and make a wish successfully, one had to walk the mountain steps in one go without rest.

No wonder when she had told Princess Changning to rest that day, she had refused no matter what.

Qin Feiyan suddenly realized that she had actually disrupted Princess Changning’s intention to pray for good fortune.

No wonder she had been so angry.

Scratching her head, Qin Feiyan paced in place twice. A flash of inspiration struck, and she thought of a way to make amends.

Action was quicker than thought. Qin Feiyan hurried out of the mountain gate, ran down the stone steps all the way, and then ran back up without stopping for a breath.

Taking out a copper coin and tossing it into the donation box, Qin Feiyan picked up a wooden plaque and walked towards the tree.

“Princess,” Qin Feiyan called softly, handing the wooden plaque to Princess Changning.

Qin Feiyan was already panting a little from running up and down the mountain, and fine sweat beaded on her forehead.

Princess Changning’s eyebrows moved slightly. She didn’t understand why Qin Feiyan, who had deliberately kept her distance from her for the past few days, had suddenly taken the initiative to speak to her and hand her a wishing plaque.

“What is this for?”

“I was wrong last time,” Qin Feiyan apologized. “This wishing plaque is to make it up to you.”

A smart person like Princess Changning understood without much thought that Qin Feiyan had mistaken her insistence on walking up the mountain that day as being for the purpose of praying.

Seeing her look of remorse, Princess Changning actually didn’t want to explain. She raised her hand to take the plaque from Qin Feiyan and said softly, with a gentler expression, “Thank you.”

Having successfully made up for the cold shoulder she had received a few days ago, a cheerful smile spread across Qin Feiyan’s elegant face. “Once you’ve written on it, I’ll help you throw it up.”

The familiar ‘heart palpitations’ appeared. Princess Changning stopped looking at the person’s bright smile, walked over to a side table, and took up a brush to write four characters: Smooth winds and timely rain (referring to good weather for harvests/peace).

She had many wishes, but apart from good weather, the rest did not need the grace of heaven; she could achieve them all by herself.

Qin Feiyan didn’t look at what she wrote. Holding the wooden plaque, she found an angle, threw it forcefully, and managed to toss it onto the highest cluster of branches. She clapped her hands with satisfaction and raised an eyebrow at Princess Changning.

Unable to bear her looking so smug, Princess Changning deliberately asked, “Why didn’t you ask me where I wanted to throw it?”

The smile on Qin Feiyan’s face paused. She asked a little foolishly, “Isn’t it said that the higher you throw it, the more likely the wish is to come true?”

She had only thought about throwing it high and forgot that she should have asked first.

“Where did you want to throw it? Should I take it down and throw it again?” Qin Feiyan scratched her head, embarrassed.

Seeing her discomfort, Princess Changning was in a much better mood. She slightly curved her lips and smiled gently, “It’s fine hanging there.”

She looked up at the wooden plaque again, then gracefully walked away.

Qin Feiyan followed behind her, a hint of doubt flashing in her heart. She felt that Princess Changning was somehow different today.

Her mood seemed very good?

They stayed at the nunnery for a few more days before descending the mountain and heading to the provincial government office.

On the day they returned to Qingzhou, Qin Feiyan received a letter from home, sent by her mother, Yang Jinlan, through a messenger.

In the letter, Yang Jinlan told her that the matchmaker had replied, and the young lady from the Bai family was quite satisfied with her. Yang Jinlan also urged Qin Feiyan to write a letter to Miss Bai to cultivate their relationship.

Qin Feiyan couldn’t help but feel a little exasperated after reading it.

Her mother’s letter reminded Qin Feiyan of the letter she had originally intended to send home. She looked up at Princess Changning, who was sitting in the room reviewing official documents, her eyes darkened slightly, and she lowered her head to fold the letter back up and put it away.

In the following days on the mountain, Qin Feiyan and Princess Changning didn’t have much contact or conversation. Not only did she no longer see Princess Changning giving her the cold shoulder, but occasionally, she even saw her smile.

Things seemed to be developing in a positive direction, yet Qin Feiyan felt that something was wrong with herself instead.

She seemed to be developing inappropriate feelings for Princess Changning again.

The resurgence of wishful thinking was like a spark on the wilderness, rapidly spreading in her heart, subtly eroding every inch of her being.

What a disaster!

Qin Feiyan sighed inwardly and decided to write a letter to her father later, asking him to send Yan Hua to take over as her guard in a few days.

Princess Changning raised her head from the desk, her gaze instantly falling on the red-clad figure outside the door.

The person who usually had a clear smile now stood at the doorway, drooping like a dehydrated sunflower.

She secretly signaled, and a piece of still-wet paper landed on her desk.

Seeing the content on the paper, the soft light in Princess Changning’s eyes instantly gave way to a hint of coldness.

So, this dejected look was because she couldn’t return to Binhe County to meet her intended young lady.

Feeling the cold glare, Qin Feiyan suddenly looked up, immediately glancing in Princess Changning’s direction.

Princess Changning was still sitting properly at her desk, fully engrossed in the official documents in her hands.

Qin Feiyan turned her head, suspiciously scanned the surroundings, and, finding nothing unusual, suspected she had misjudged.

The next day, after finishing her martial arts practice, Qin Feiyan went out to hand the family letter to the messenger. However, this letter arrived at the provincial government office a step ahead of her.

Princess Changning opened the letter. The handwriting was messy and ugly, making her frown just by looking at it.

Of course, the content of the letter was even more irritating.

Qin Feiyan had only written two things: one was to ask Yan Hua to replace her, and the other was to reassure Yang Yulan (her father), saying there was no need to write to Miss Bai, and that she would personally go to see her for dinner after she returned in a few days.

When Qin Feiyan returned to the yamen (government office), seeing Princess Changning already at her desk processing official business, she couldn’t help but sigh in her heart, thinking that with such diligence, Princess Changning would surely be a brilliant ruler in the future.

Qin Feiyan faintly smelled something burning. Following the scent, she saw that the incense burner on Princess Changning’s desk seemed to be emitting a wisp of white smoke.

The letter was sent, but Qin Feiyan felt not relief, but a greater heaviness.

Once she returned to Binhe County this time, she and Princess Changning would likely never meet again.

Alas!

After a deep sigh, Qin Feiyan still couldn’t control her eyes and secretly glanced inside the room.

Every look was one less look; surely looking a couple more times wouldn’t be offensive.

Qin Feiyan’s stealthy manner, in Princess Changning’s eyes, became a sign of guilt, making her even more unhappy.

Why did she, of all people, fall for her?

Qin Feiyan always believed that her first meeting with Princess Changning was on the day they set off for Qinzhou, but in fact, they had met earlier than that.

After receiving the appointment as the Transfer Commissioner of Jiangnan Circuit, Princess Changning, to conceal her whereabouts, traveled incognito southward from the capital.

After traveling more than a thousand miles by water, she couldn’t bear the motion sickness and changed to a mountain route to rush to Binhe County after reaching Yanzhou.

Near the northern outskirts of Binhe County, perhaps because only Alv (A-lü) was driving the carriage, their carriage was stopped on the road by two idle ruffians.

Alv knew some martial arts, which would have been more than enough for the two ruffians. However, before Alv could act, the two ruffians had already been dealt with by someone else.

That day, Qin Feiyan was dressed in a dark-red fitted outfit, her black hair pulled up high, a red hairband fluttering in the wind. She rode her horse vigorously, exuding a sense of boldness and passion.

Her leather whip whistled through the air. Without dismounting, Qin Feiyan had already lashed the two ruffians into scurrying away, begging for mercy.

Qin Feiyan came and went like the wind. After dealing with the two ruffians, she and her companion rode away.

Princess Changning had been frail since childhood. Let alone riding a horse, even rapid walking would be prevented by the attending governess.

With just one glance, Princess Changning felt a sense of envy for that unrestrained figure galloping freely, and Qin Feiyan’s bright, radiant smile overlapped with the face on the silk painting.

Qin Feiyan, the only daughter of Qin Guanghan, former commandant of the Imperial Guard in the capital.

Qin Guanghan joined the army at fourteen, served as a scout in the Western Camp of the Lingnan Army. In the sixth year of Xuanwu, when the State of Nanyue raised troops to invade Xiliang, the then-Crown Princess (who would become the Empress) led troops on the campaign and met Qin Guanghan in the army.

After two years of fighting, the Xiliang army utterly defeated Nanyue, also capturing Wuzhou in Nanyue. They established a standoff with Nanyue, using the Hongfeng Peak of the Minjiang River as a natural barrier, resolving the problem of the Lingnan Circuit being frequently harassed by Nanyue.

Qin Guanghan was highly valued by the Crown Princess because of this war and was brought into the Imperial Guard.

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